1. Field of the Invention
The subject matter of the present application is related to a type of electrohydrodynamic (also known as electro-fluid-dynamic) technology that uses corona discharge principles to generate ions and electrical fields to control the movement of fluids such as air, or other types of fluids, and more particularly to embodiments of collector structures in an ionic air flow accelerator device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Principles of the ionic movement of fluids include ion generation using a first electrode (often termed the “corona electrode” or the “corona discharge electrode”) that accelerates the ions toward a second electrode, thereby imparting momentum to the ions in a direction toward the second electrode. Collisions between the ions and an intervening fluid, such as surrounding air molecules, transfer the momentum of the ions to the fluid inducing a corresponding movement of the fluid to achieve an overall movement in a desired fluid flow direction. The second electrode is variously referred to as the “accelerating,” “attracting,” “collector,” or “target” electrode. By placing successive arrays of first and second electrodes, the ions are continually accelerated and collide with additional air molecules until they lose their charge, either to air molecules or to the collector electrodes in their path.
Devices built using principles of the ionic movement of fluids are variously referred to in the literature as ionic wind machines, corona wind pumps, electrostatic air accelerators and electrohydrodynamic thrusters. In the present application, such devices are referred to as ionic air flow accelerators.